Double-necked hawthornis a precious tree, showy with its dark green leaves, profuse flowering and long-lasting red fruit. Its leaves and flowers have medicinal properties that lower blood pressure. See whatcultivating hawthornlooks like in the garden and learn about its most valuable varieties. We will suggest whether it is possiblebreeding hawthornin garden conditions.
Hawthorn
Double-necked hawthorn(Crataegus laevigata) is a small tree that grows up to 5 m tall, with a smooth olive green bark.It creates dark green irregular, three- to five-flap or only deeply indented leaves. Thorns appear on its shoots.In May, the hawthorn is covered with numerous flowersgathered in the corymbose.The scarlet-red fruits of the hawthornreach 12 mm in diameter. They are a delicacy for crows, thrushes and blackbirds.
Good to know!Hawthorn flowers have a characteristic, quite unpleasant smell due to trimethylamine. They produce a large amount of nectar which is mainly used by flies, beetles and wasps.
Double necked hawthorn - cultivation
The double-necked hawthorn has very lowsoil and cultivation requirements. It prefers sunny to semi-shaded places. Likes fertile and not very light soils, moderately dry to moderately moist, slightly acidic to alkaline soils. The two-necked hawthorn is distinguished by high growth strength. It is a native species of great ecological value as a benefit for bees.Thanks to its high resistance to cutting, it can be used for planting in the form of a hedge.The cultivation of the double-necked hawthorn is easythanks to which the tree is often used for street shelters.
Double necked hawthorn - varieties
Double necked hawthorn 'Paul's Scarlet'- one of the most beautiful varieties with full red flowers. It grows strongly, usually tree-like, forming straight, thick trunks. Its carmine red, full, rose-shaped flowers appear profusely in May. This valuable variety of hawthorn does not bear fruit.
Double-necked hawthorn 'Rubra Plena'- this is a full-flowered, carmine pink variety whose flowers are lighter than those of the 'Paul's Scarlet' variety.
Double-necked hawthorn 'Plena'- the flowers of this hawthorn are full, white, and turn pale pink as they fade.
Hawthorn 'Candidoplena'- forms full, pure white flowers, which in turn do not turn pink even during the menopause
Double-necked hawthorn 'Autumn Clory'- hawthorn variety largely resistant to mildew, produces characteristic very large shiny fruits
Double-necked hawthorn 'Gireoudii'- young shoots and leaves of this tree are two-colored, pinkish-white, then the leaves turn green to turn bright red in autumn. The variety 'Gireoudii' blooms white in May, and its fruits are large, shiny, dark red, very showy. It is worth pruning this variety of hawthorn to obtain an interesting, regular shape of the crown and stimulate it to produce colorful young shoots.
Double necked hawthorn - reproduction
The breeding of the double-necked hawthorn is carried out by sowing seedsafter a two-year stratification. However, it should be remembered that only hawthorn species reproduce in this way.Decorative varieties of hawthorn require grafting or budding on a single-necked hawthorn rootstock.
Harvest hawthorn seeds in October , clean, dry and store at low temperatures until sowing. In the case of hawthorn, the stratification period is 24 months. The seeds are stored in moist sand at 0-5 ° C. After this time, in spring, the seeds are sown in an inspection, in a mixture of compost soil with the addition of peat and sand. Hawthorn seedlings are dug up in the fall and planted permanently.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
